Fish steaking device



June 15, 1954 Filed Sept. 1, 1950 M. H. THQRNTQN FISH STEAKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR lf/r Tl/[W H. 77mm! TON ATTORNEY June 15, 1954 M. H. THORNTON FISH STEAKING DEVICE Filed Sept. 1, 1950 20a In 204 c a: me 28 36 28 a. 30m. I91

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR N/r THEW H THOR/V MW ATTORNEY Patented June 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,680,877 FISH STEAKING DEVICE Mathew H. Thornton, St. Paul, Minn. Application September 1, 1950, Serial No. 182,693

4 Claims. (01. 17-8) This invention relate; to a device for holding Fig. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4, a fish while it is being steaked. It is desirable as indicated by the arrows, with some parts to have such a device which is provided with a shown in vertical section. means for placing longitudinal tension on a fish Referring to the drawings, with special refere to Fig. 1, a substantially rectangular frame accurately cut. as being rectangular in vertical cross section. It is an object therefore of this invention to m Said frame has a handle I20 at one end. Said provide a device adapted to hold a fish by plachandle is shaped in the form of an elongated ing longitudinal tension thereon and to provide u with the spaced ends being secured to said a means for determining the plane of a cutting frame.

blade used to steak said fish in order to eificiently With reference to Figs. 1 and 4, a clamping out said steaks of a desired and uniform member is is provided. Said clamping member thickness. is made of any suitable material, such as spring It is another object of this invention to provide steel sheet material. Said clamping member has a device having in combination, a frame having swingingly connected portions l3a forming means secured to the ends of said frame adapted spring pressed jaws l3b at their forward ends to engage and hold the ends of a fish to securely 20 and forming handle portions I at their rear hold the same in position, a pair of guide bars ends. Said portions I 3a have mwardiy extending extending longitudinally of said frame and flanges (3e. A split cylinder |3f is provided adapted to guide a cutting blade in various planes which extends transversely of said clamp and and said bars also being adapted to occupy diiinto which flanges |3e extend. Disposed between ferent positions transversely of said frame. 0 the flanges l3e in said cylinder are a pair of balls It is a more specific object of this invention I39. Cylinder i3) is rigidly attached to a bar to provide a device having n combination, an IT, as by welding Said bar is shown as being open frame of a generally rectangular form procylindrical and extending slidably through one respectively secured to opposite ends of said 30 handle l2c. The said portions l3a of said clamp ping means extending longitudinally of said sides with slots I3 respectively extending for planes. of a narrow elongated rectangular form and These and other objects and advantages of the which are rectangular in vertical cross section. invention will be ifully set forth in the following .Said block portions HI respectively have upper several views and in which: spectively in said slots and respectively threaded Fig. 1 is a top plan view of applicants device into each of said block portions 14c. Hence said shown in operating position;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation taken on line in said channels and may be held in various posi- 2--2 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows, with ticns by said set screws l5. Said blocks have resome parts shown in vertical section; cesses with concavely curved walls at their ad- Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation taken on line 60 jacent sides. Bar 17 which carries clamp Hi can some parts shown in vertical section; frame.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 taken on line At the end of said frame opposite clamping 4-4 of Fig. l, as indicated by the arrows; members I3 is a clamping member l9, as shown Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, as in Figs. 1 and 3. Said clamping member 49 as indicated by the arrows; and well as clamp I3 is made of any suitable material, such as steel sheet material which is preferably resilient. Said clamping member i3 is similar in construction to clamp 13 and has portions Isa. Said clamping member it has a central portion I91) which extends rearwardly and outwardly to form handle portions lBc. The portions |9d adjacent the outer sides of said clamping member form a flange portion [Be at the rear of said clamping member. A split cylinder I9 is provided having an opening longitudinally thereof and adapted to receive said flange portion l3e therein. A small rod or ball lag is disposed between flange portions l3e, said flange portions being adapted to receive the same.

A casing 23 is provided of cylindrical form and having a closed inner end. Respectively extending outwardly horizontally from said closed end and diverging for a short distance are two rods a, said rods having reversely bent end portions disposed in axial alignment and extending into the end portions of cylinder 13! whereby said casing is pivotally secured to said cylinder i3; and clamp i9.

A rod 2i, shown as cylindrical, is provided which has a slotted or bifurcated end portion 21a. Said slotted end portion is disposed in said casing 20b. A compression coiled spring 22 surrounds said end portion 2la and is disposed in casing 2017. One end of said spring bears against a pin 2) extending through the bifurcations of member 2la and secured therein adjacent their ends. The other end of said spring bears against a pin 200 which extends through casing 20b and between the bifurcations of rod 2 i. Rod 2i is slidably disposed in said frame member l2. screw 23 is threaded into said frame and holds rod 2! in various positions.

Clamping members 25 and 2B are provided respectively disposed above and below clamping member l3. Clamping members 25 and 25 are of the ordinary variety of a spring type clamp and the jaws thereof secured respectively to the ends of members 21 and 28 and extend for a short distance forward of clamping member is. Members 21 in plan and said clamps have front bight portions to which 25 and 26 are respectively secured. The members 21 and 23 extend rearwardly and are horizontally disposed. The rear portions of said members are enlarged to form cylindrical portions 21a and 28a. Disposed in said cylindrical portions and extending outwardly therefrom for a short distance are rods 30 having slotted or bifurcated portions 30a. Compression coiled springs 31 surround said slotted portions 30a and are disposed in cylindrical portions 21a. and 28a. One of the ends respectively of said springs bear against pins 33 disposed in and received in the bifurcations 30a of rods 30. The other ends respectively of said springs 3| bear against pins 34 disposed through cylindrical portions 21c and 23a passing between the bifurcations of rods 30.

Said rods 30 are respectively pivoted to the end of cylindrical portion 2% by pivot members 36.

Longitudinally extending guide bars 31 are shown. Said guide bars are made of any suitable material, such as metal, and are substantially rectangular in vertical cross section. Said guide bars are respectively disposed on either side of said clampting members i3 and I9. Said guide bars have reduced rounded end portions 31a and 31b respectively. Said end portions are rotatably received in supporting members 38 and 39 respectively. Said supporting members have outer Aset,

and 28 are substantially U-shaped U-shaped end portions 38a and 39a respectively which are disposed over the ends of frame II and are slidable laterally thereon. Set screws 40 are provided threaded into said U-shaped end portions and engage with the respective ends of said frame member to hold members 38 and 39 in position. Set screws 4| are threaded into members 39 and are adapted to contact the end portions 31b to hold the same in a given circumferential position.

In operation, in using applicants steaking device, set screws 40 are first loosened and guide bars 31 are spaced apart laterally sufiiciently to accommodate the fish to be steaked, and in Fig. l a fish i0 is shown. Said set screws are then tightened. Set screws i8 and 23 respectively are then loosened and clamping members l3 and I9 respectively are spaced apart slightly in excess of the length of the fish to be steaked, bars l1 and 2! moving in the ends of frame l2. Set screws 18 and 23 respectively are then tightened. The fish to be steaked is then placed in the device. The head portion of the fish is received in clamping member l3 being disposed between the jaws I30. which grip the fish through its eye socket portions. The block members 14 are then moved to engage the head of the fish at the sides thereof to hold the same in a fixed lateral position. Said block members are held securely in position by tightening set screws IS.

The tail portion of the fish is gripped in jaws We of clamping member i9. Said last mentioned clamping member has resilient longitudinal movement so that the fish is held with longitudinal tension being placed thereon. The jaws of said clamping members are spring pressed and keep a firm grip.

The guide bars are moved rotatably to determine the proper plane in which to guide a knife, such as a knife H shown in Fig. 1, or other cutting blade in order to cut steaks of the desired thickness and so the knife can move along the backbone of the fish. Said guide bars are accommodated very nicely to various thicknesses of fish. Set screws 4| are tightened to hold said guide bars in the desired circumferential position, which position deters the plane of the cutting blade. A knife or other cutting tool used must have a sharp cutting blade. In steaking the fish, the cut is started adjacent the tail end of the fish with the cutting blade moving along the guide bars. When the cutting of the steak is started the portion Where the cut is first started is placed in either clamping member 25 or 26, whichever is at the top, and is held therein. Said clamping member has resilient longitudinal movement and thus places longitudinal tension on the steak to be cut. The cutting blade then continues moving along the guide bars, cutting the steak evenly and uniformly. Thus by governing the plane in which the cutting blade moves, the steak can be cut at the proper place and it is always accurately out. When one side of the fish is steaked, the holding device is turned over and the same steaking operation as set forth is repeated to steak the other side of the fish.

Thus it is seen that I have provided a very practical and efficient holding device for steaking a fish. A fish placed in said device is held firmly under longitudinal tension and the steaks which are out are also held under longitudinal tension during the cutting process. As a result, steaks are accurately cut and the cutting blade used moves in a single plane which is determined by guide bars. As a result the steaks out are practically perfect and there is little or no waste.

Applicants device has been thoroughly tested in actual operation and found to work very successfully and efficiently.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicant's invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for steaking a fish having in combination a frame, knife-guiding means extending longitudinally of said frame adjacent each side thereof and disposed substantially in the same plane, said means being rotatable about their longitudinal axes respectively, gripping means secured respectively to opposite end portions of said frame and disposed between said first mentioned means for holding respectively the tail portion and head portion of a fish with said fish disposed flatwise in a substantially horizontal plane, resilient means acting on one of said gripping means to move it away from the other so as to place said fish under tension, said gripping means being disposed to hold said fish generally in the plane of said knife-guiding means whereby a knife can be moved along and in contact with said guiding means and be guided to cut steaks from said fish held in said gripping means.

2. A device for holding a fish in position to be steaked and for guiding a knife for steaking said fish, having in combination, a frame, knife-guiding members extending longitudinally of said frame adjacent each side thereof respectively and being disposed substantially in the same plane, gripping jaws supported in said frame at one end thereof adapted to hold the tail portion of a fish, second gripping jaws carried in the other end portion of said frame for gripping the head portion of said fish, said gripping means being disposed to hold said fish fiatwise in a substantially horizontal plane between and in substantially the same plane as said knife-guiding members, whereby a knife can be moved and guided longitudinally of and in contact with said guide members for cutting steaks from said fish.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1, gripping jaws disposed at the upper and lower sides of said first mentioned gripping jaws and adapted to hold respectively the end portion of steaks cut from said fish.

4. A device for holding a fish for steaking and for guiding a knife for steaking said fish having in combination, a frame, a substantially flat bar at each side of said frame and extending longitudinally thereof, a gripping means disposed between said bars and carried in one end of said frame for holding the tail portion of a fish, a second gripping means carried in the other end of said frame for gripping the head portion of said fish, said gripping means being positioned to hold said fish flatwise in a substantially horizontal plane which is substantially the plane of said bars, a second gripping means carried by said first mentioned gripping means at one side thereof and positioned to engage the end of a steak partially cut from said fish whereby a knife can be moved longitudinally of said bars in engagement therewith and guided to cut steaks from said fish.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

